Selangor Journal
Tik Tok logos are seen on smartphones in front of a displayed ByteDance logo in this illustration taken on November 27, 2019. — Picture by REUTERS

Ministries to discuss TikTok account ownership by children under 13

GEORGE TOWN, Feb 4 — The Education Ministry (MOE) will discuss with the Ministry of Communications the issue of TikTok account ownership by children under 13.

Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry needed to get complete information before issuing any guidelines on the matter.

“We will seek opinions and coordination from the Communications Minister (Fahmi Fadzil) because I need to get complete information and guidance from him to assess its potential effects and impact on our children.

“I am certain there are guidelines to be followed, meaning there is control particularly by the parents,” she told reporters after opening the Kemas Kindergarten Appreciation Ceremony for the Barat Daya and Timur Laut districts at the Sri Mutiara Raia Inn Hall in Bayan Lepas, near here.

More than 824 Kemas kindergarten children attended the ceremony, and 107 of them received excellent award certificates from the Nibong Tebal Member of Parliament.

Fahmi was reported as saying that TikTok account ownership by children under 13 is among the issues being considered to be raised with the management of the social media platform.

He said there was some concern regarding this age group’s ownership of TikTok accounts as TikTok community guidelines explicitly stated that users must be 13 years and older to have an account.

Fahmi also said that he would discuss with the Attorney-General if it is necessary to take legal action against the social media platform’s management regarding account ownership by children, as done in other countries.

— Bernama

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